Blog Breaking

It turns out keeping up with personal blogging has not been my strong suit post-baby. Our family blog has taken more of the center stage, understandably. So, I'm taking a little vacation from Coffee Talk, for now. I'm not willing to close up shop completely yet... I hope to return to it at some point. (I might pop up from time to time just to clear my head.)

In the meantime, you can find me at New Every Morning, and see 2 cutie-pie kiddos and little tales of their shenanigans. Let's face it... they are more interesting anyway! :) See you there!

It's been a big week

Hannah crossed the "sleeping through the night" threshold. She's doing 9-10 hours! (Now I know that some consider 6 hours as sleeping through the night, but come on.... I don't think waking up and feeding at 4AM is MY morning!). It is truly amazing how different it makes me to have uninterrupted sleep.

I took both kids to the office and then to Super Walmart and made it out with my sanity. We have a brand new one in our area. I think we will be BFFs once I get used to where they stock all the things I need.

After a wonderful time of people bringing meals to us and then being on vacation, I am now back to cooking for my family. It can be done!

Both my parents celebrated birthdays this week - mom's was Tuesday and dad's is today. I'm excited because they are coming this weekend and we'll get to celebrate with them. Can't wait to see them! And, I can't wait to show them how much my little girl has grown.

And, this time next year my little fella will start kindergarten [we have year round schools here]. Oh my goodness! I only have one more year at home with him. I'm getting all mushy about it already. He is excited about it and wants to go NOW. I've been using that to my advantage for the last few months.... "Kids in kindergarten have to clean up their own messes... You can't go to kindergarten until you can write your letters...". Etc. :)

Attacked for love

Coming home from back-to-back weeks of nonstop fun, I was ready to get back into some routine! I was concerned how everyone would adjust. Would my four year old would be whiny and bored? Not the case, thankfully. He missed his toys so much and he's making up for lost time. Whew!

Hannah is back to sleeping for long periods. Amen.

The problem is our cat, Daisy. She is always very clingy when we return home from trips. I've had a little shadow the last several days - I've almost stepped on her several times. You know she's starved for attention when she begs my son to give her love! I was feeding Hannah at 5am the other day with the nursery door closed, and Daisy meowed and meowed to be let in. She did not want to be separated again! After I put Hannah back down, I opened the door and Daisy let me have it! She whopped me repeatedly on the legs with her paws as I walked by and followed me into my room still hitting me. Nothing to inflict any pain whatsoever like biting or clawing... just her way of making me know she was ticked! I had to chase her away with a burp cloth to get her to stop. Mike awoke to see the craziness and thought the whole scene was hilarious!

Although our friends came to feed her and love her lots while we were gone, it appears that 2 weeks was too much for our beloved feline.

Home Sweet Boxcar

The kiddos and I arrived at Camp Willow Run this morning to join my hubby as he speaks this week. I've blogged here and here about how this is where Mike and I met and how very special this place is to us. Jackson is enthralled with camp and has been a jabbering bouncing boy ever since we arrived. I LOVE that Mike is asked to speak here every summer... gives us an excuse to see our 2nd family here, we get to participate in an incredibly impactful ministry, and it gives us a little vacation in paradise.

This year we discovered a newly expanded Boxcar #8 (aka speaker's boxcar). They made an additional room complete with 2 sets of bunk beds and a dresser. It's so nice and what great timing for us! This boxcar is now almost as big as our first house. :)

Jackson wasted no time and immediately following lunch he and daddy hit the lake. He couldn't wait to jump off the dock again. Hannah and I went down briefly to take a few pictures. The Bjorn is going to be a lifesaver this week for us. And, if the weather keeps up I'll be sweating out the remaining baby weight.

Mike has made many facebook/twitter updates about his stay so far. It has been so funny to see the bazillon comments he is getting from fellow former staffers. They want to know what he's doing, what he's eating, etc. Basically living vicariously through him this week. So many have sweet memories of this place.

Post-flu pseudo-normalness

It was so nice to rejoin the land of the living! Grocery store, movies, library, birthday party, cookout, church ... normal felt good. Our last scheduled meals came from our most loving friends, neighbors, and church family. I cannot convey what a blessing that has been both to my stomach (yum!) and to my sanity.

This weeks starts a new and different chaos. Mike is speaking at Camp Willow Run all week. He left this afternoon. Which leaves me with the 2 young'uns until Wednesday when we will join him. I feel like this will really be a test of my motherhood... manage the 2 kiddos all by myself while packing for 2 back-to-back trips (CWR, then to the beach). Will I survive?? The planner in me is in overdrive.

I really look forward to being back at CWR and seeing the staff again. They recently put an addition to the speaker's boxcar, which will be so wonderful for our expanded family. But, the best part by far is experiencing camp from the perspective of my son. He loves camp as much as we do. It's all he's talked about for the last few days. It won't be but a few more years until we can hopefully send him there as a camper!

tv is transforming my hubby

I've been strapped down to the sofa either sick with the flu (all better now, thankfully) or nursing for many hours each day. I'm getting good at grabbing things with my toes, beckoning the four year old to bring me things, and surfing the net with my one free hand.

And, I've been watching a bit of TV lately. (Yes, I know its pathetic. I need to go to the library... just haven't made it there yet). While I usually loathe Summertime programming and Daytime TV (with the exception of my beloved Today Show), I do enjoy most things on HGTV and the Food Network. The problem is that it either makes me hungry or desirous to overhaul my home decor. Neither are good options right now.

By the way, have you seen the show 'The Next Food Network Star'? Love it. I'm soooo rooting for Melissa!

My hubby, Mike, has been subjected to this programming too, especially while being Mr. Mom and taking care of all of us. I'm happy to say it is rubbing off on him. We have all these ideas of improvements we want to make to the house. When the magical money falls from the sky, we will be ready with a plan. :) In the meantime we'll just focus on helping his mom update her home and prep to get it sold.

Mike has also been exploring some in the kitchen. He's excellent with man-food. You know, the stuff that is either grilled or deep fried. His chicken wings are legendary within our church. While my parents were here, he and my dad made grilled ribs with a homemade bbq sauce, homemade cornbread in a cast iron skillet, and grilled corn. He even consulted several different cornbread recipes and then combined a few to create the recipe he wanted. Impressive.

He has been babying his little garden. Seriously, he checks it several times everyday and comes in with reports of how many cucumbers and tomatoes we have, and how the watermelon has doubled in size in the last 12 hours. He's already harvested most the cucumbers. Ironically, he'll never know how great they are because he can't stand them. More for me! It's amazing to me how a man that doesn't like vegetables can be so enamored by gardening them.

Your prayers, please

I have the flu. It is horrible on many levels.

Please, please pray for Hannah to be spared all this. As you can imagine it would not be a good thing for her 5 week old body to endure. Jackson gave it to me, and he's past the worst of it.

Oh, and pray that Mike will be spared too. We need our Mr. Mom healthy around here.

FYI - Dr says there is a lot of flu going around right now... take cover.

....back to bed.

Coming out of the dark

I am slowly getting Hannah into a schedule and discovering the new normal for our family. The 'fog' is still there, but there have been moments of seeing it lift. Hannah is sleeping wonderfully at night and is doing 5-6 hour stretches between feedings. Hallelujah and amen. Hubby has been a HUGE blessing by taking her during occasional late evening fussy spells and letting me go straight to bed after feedings. I almost feel back to myself.

Jackson has attended a VBS this week. I am proud to say that I have successfully gotten him there by 9am each morning clothed, bathed, and fed. And, I am ever so ready to go back to being in my pjs until 10am next week. :) It has been a good experience for him and I know he's glad to get out of the house more.

It has been great to have some undivided time with my little girlie. And, a little more time to do some other things around the house - like attack the medical bills that come in daily. Can you believe that I got a big fat bill from the anesthesiologist??!! For the epidural that I did NOT have the privilege of receiving!! Grrr... I've already called to petition these fees and they are "researching" it. It can't cost that much to have an anesthesiologist spend 10 minutes to prep me and not actually administer the goods. Can it?!?

We are starting to get out and about a little. Hannah has officially made 2 trips to the grocery store and we went to church last Sunday, although she stayed in her stroller and will not be put in the class this early. I am still leery of doing major errand running with both kiddos, but I'm sure that time will come soon enough. We went to The Bridge's softball game last night. I'm not sure how much of the game I actually got to see, but we were there supporting Daddy and the team! It's comical how many kids are in the stands for our team compared to other teams. Our church is fertile! :)

Murphy's law for (my) newborn

• Will dirty 3 consecutive diapers when you are rushing to get out the door.
• Will wake and demand to be held as soon as you are sitting and holding a fork with a bite of food to be eaten.
• Will sleep heavily through guests coming to see her, yet be wide awake for the following 3 hours (again wanting to be held).
• Will spit up a river as soon as you are 10 feet away from the nearest burp cloth.
• Will sleep through a four year old screaming next to her, yet awake when the door to her room creaks open.

The Fog

I was amazed after I came home from the hospital feeling so well. I had energy and healed very well from the whole adventure. We did the early discharge from the hospital. Then that first week finished and now it's a bit murky 'round here. I'm in what I like to call "the fog".... aka the first month or so after a new baby when sleep deprivation kicks in and you function through each day, but are not really yourself. Words are harder to form into sentences. Items are lost. I can tell you when the next feeding will be and how many diapers I've changed, but if you ask me something like my favorite color I'll have to really pause and think. Forgive me for ramblings and poor punctuation during this time, won't you? :)

Our dear friends from The Bridge and around the area have started to bring meals and it is such a blessing! I might just forget how to cook.

It's hard to believe that my precious baby girl is 13 days old. Oh, how I am utterly and completely in love with her! I love how she will stare contently at my face. How she cracks a content little smile when her head is rubbed. How she is unfazed by a rambunctious 4 year old brother. How she seems to love being cleaned and pampered during bath time. How she wrinkles her forehead and looks identical to her daddy. How she has that "milk drunk" look after feedings. How she makes the cutest little squeaks. (Except when she squeaks at 3am and I'm trying to get back to sleep)

And she just seems so dainty and prissy. I told Mike that I am not sure if it is really her or just me projecting that on her! Even her little burps seem girly to me. Is that weird? Jackson NEVER had that soft baby squishiness - he was always so solid and big. She's putting on the pounds (or ounces, rather) quite nicely. I finally see the beginnings of a fat role on her legs. It is amazing how happy that makes me.

Jackson is still doing very well with the new transition. He tried to pick up a whiny phase again, but I think that's in check for now. And he loves to hold her. Fortunately he is at the perfect age to be a good helper and "fetcher" for me while I do hours and hours of feedings each day. He has told me several times that he wishes he had "brother milk" like I have mommy milk so that he could feed her too. Oh my! We have laughed about that one!

Little one is starting to grunt from the bassinet. Chow time...

Looking for me? I've been letting hubby do the blogging over here for the last few days. Been a little busy nursing and not sleeping :)

messing with my head - part 2

Mike and I said a while ago that the most inconvenient time for me to go into labor would be Saturday night/Sunday morning... the Lord has a sense of humor!

Yesterday started out quite eventful. I awoke at 2am with contractions. I logged them for a couple of hours at about 10 min apart. When Mike awoke around 4 and I told him there was a possibility of labor. He showered and began preparing for church, just in case. After a couple more hours of slowly but progressing contractions, we called Pastor Tim to fill in preaching for Mike. Grandparents were called in to come get Jackson.

The contractions felt differently than before, but I didn't think much of it. I had back labor exclusively with Jackson because of his position in the womb. The doctors have told me she is not in that position, so I knew the contractions would likely feel much differently. They kept getting closer and closer - and increasing in intensity & pain [which is what the books says is a sign of true labor, not false labor]. It was frustrating how slowly they were progressing, but at least they were progressing.

Finally around 11am I reached the point of nearly an hour of contractions that were 3-5 minutes apart - the point when we are to call the Dr and head to the hospital. Mike loaded up the van only to come back in and find out that the contractions had stopped without explanation.

I cannot explain to you the level of frustration felt.

Praise God Jackson was able to spend the day and night last night with my in laws. We rested and caught up on sleep. Which is good because who knows when we'll be at the whole thing again.

Preoccupation Projects

Fact: I'm 39 weeks preggo today. [But who's counting?]
Fact: Time goes by faster when you are busy.
Fact: I have the inability to nap. Never have. Sad, I know.

Therefore... I am finding projects of preoccupation. And riding waves of energy when they come along. Currently, the wave has passed and I'm crashed in the recliner. In case you were wondering.

Where was I? Oh yes.... the projects.

Project #1 - Hannah's room. Furniture in place. Room cozy and decorated. Clothes and toys are organized, washed, and ready to go. This was the fun project. It's been done for a while.

Project #2 - The house. It's the continual project of keeping it up, yet I'm trying to keep it "guest ready" for when my folks come stay with us after Hannah shows up. (You know, the kind of stuff that hubby probably wishes I did ALL the time but would never say that.) Couple that with Spring Cleaning and a killer nesting instinct... it doesn't stand a chance. I have already re-organized the laundry room, all closets, my pantry, bathroom cabinets, Jackson's toys, winter clothes, and junk drawers. Bathrooms are clean. Laundry caught up. Baseboards dusted. Hubby and I scoured windows last weekend - we still have a few more to go. He's gotten into the game and really done a bunch of yard work. Even started a garden with tomatoes, lettuce, cucumber, and watermelon.

It's sick, I know.

Project #3 - A bow holder. Attention: I did a craft. By myself. With paint, glue gun, and ribbon. Yes, ME. Now, I know she'll likely be like Jackson and not have ANY hair for the first year, but here's to hoping. And for something to go on a blank wall. (picture to come)

Project #4 - Errand running. Last minute stocking up on anything I can think of. I know getting out and about after she comes will be difficult for the first little bit. And for some reason I am afraid my family will run out of food. Or worse - toilet paper.

When all else fails I revert back to the house project... because, let's face it, yesterday's work is already messed up. Which reminds me why I just don't get caught up in the 'my house must be perfect' thing in most cases. Just not this week.

Just messin' with my head

Contractions... I got 'em. Braxton Hicks all the time and a few of what I would call "real ones". Nothing like having 3-4 strong ones 10 minutes apart to get me thinking I'm going to meet my daughter today, only to have them stop. It's a fun game. Really.

My normal Monday appointment got pushed back {boo!} to Wednesday so that I'll get checked and have the ultrasound to check on the amniotic fluid level all in the same appointment and not have to go in twice. So, I have a little more wait to hear about the progress. I'm curious to see if all these contractions have added up to much.

I'm trying to find balance between doing projects to preoccupy me and resting up as much as possible, as I know rest, sleep, time to myself, etc will be very hard to come by as soon as baby girl arrives. My new routine is fluttering around doing various odds and ends and then sitting like an exhausted zombie until the next wave of energy happens to come.

I do have to give major props to my hubby who has given COUNTLESS back rubs without complaint. My love language...

baby watch

It has been an interesting week as far as this pregnancy goes. At my Monday appointment the doctor and I decided to go ahead and have another ultrasound done to make sure all was well with Hannah. There has been a several things different with this pregnancy than with Jackson and it caused a little unrest and red flags with me. I'm certain that my previous miscarriage had a lot to do with that... you just always wonder if all is well until you have that precious baby in your arms and can see for yourself.

I spent much time on my knees laying my daughter's health and my anxiety before the Lord. I am amazed anew at how He offers the peace beyond all understanding. And I can atest that the peace I felt was not something that could remotely come from this weak person that I am - only from the Lord. Health issues or not, I was ready to trust in Him completely.

I went into the ultrasound appointment knowing that if something abnormal was found I would likely be induced or scheduled a C-section as soon as possible. So, you can imagine the whirlwind mode of last minute stuff just in case...clean house, bags packed, shaved legs...

In the end, yesterday's ultrasound went well. Despite the small outer measurements and my lack weight gain, she is estimated to be about 6lbs 3oz (which is good for 37.5 weeks). Not as petite as they thought! And, we confirmed that she is indeed a she. Whew! I can't imagine changing over this explosion of pink that has entered my house. They are watching my amniotic fluid level as it is slightly low. I'll get another ultrasound next week to make sure all is well there.

So for now we have a new batch of pictures to linger over until she decides to come. Last night I told Mike that I am so relieved to hear that she is well, but a little sad to have to wait longer to meet her. In the end, I'll take her health a million times before that.

just call me tigger

Jackson: Bounce, bounce.
Mommy: Hmm? What's bouncing?
Jackson: Your belly looks like a GIANT ball. You can bounce really really high, Mommy.
Mommy: Uh, thanks.

37

Today I'm having a mini celebration for reaching 37 weeks. I'm officially "full term". And by celebrating I mean I am sitting on my tail and eating ice cream pie while the boys are out fishing.

Jackson and I had a little conversation with baby girl yesterday to let her know that she is welcome to come ANY TIME NOW... not that I really expect her to come this early. But here's hoping. The contractions have really revved up in the last week, but not with any consistancy.

Monday is the next DR appt - and I'm anxious to hear of any progress. Last week I found out that she/I am measuring a smidge smaller - not small as in a health concern they assured, but small as in she may be a petite thing. Which might explain why I'm not as big as I was with Jackson, who could have never been defined as petite in any way. I'm trying to take this as good news (easier delivery/less back pain??!!) and not worry. Easier said than done.

The past few weeks have been consumed with some last minute preparation for the arrival of baby girl. It's hard work... like deciding which outfit to bring her home in {grins}. The nursery is set, car seat in the car, essentials have been washed, and bags mostly packed (except for the things needed up until then). I've been shopping to get last minute necessities - diapers, wipes, diaper genie refills, new bottles/nipples, nursing pads, baby book, more crib sheets, etc. [thank you, thank you gift cards!]

I've also been a busy bee trying to get things squared away for the church while I am out with a newborn. It's hard for me. I hate asking people to do more when they already do so much. I really don't want to leave a burden for my awesome volunteers in the children's ministry. I am having to trust the Lord with a lot of this!

Blessings

I am so blessed. Today marks the 8th year I've been married to the most amazing man. Happy Anniversary, Mike! I love you! Although our annual trip together will have to be postponed, I had so much fun on our date last night. Eight years and many more to come...

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Our church recently celebrated our 3rd anniversary.... Three years as an "official" church. Three years filled with a lot of heart, sweat, and prayer poured into a body of people 'without a building'. God's presence and blessings abound and I just love my church family so much! It is so wonderful to celebrate together what God has done through The Bridge, and what He's gonna do in the many years to come!

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On top of that, some of the amazing women from The Bridge threw me a baby shower this past weekend. I am so very touched by their generosity and desire to bless my family. I don't think I can express enough how grateful we are for their love and support - financially, spiritually, and in the amazing friendships. The shower was so nice. We were definitely showered in PINK. :) Baby Hannah will certainly be more stylin' than her mommy! Several went in and totally surprised us with a new fancy-smancy stroller that we really needed. We feel so blessed!

tick tock...

Time seems to crawl for me when I'm pregnant, even amidst a busy schedule of activities. I have a little over 5 weeks until the due date. That means I have officially crossed into the not-so-pleasant phase of pregnancy. I'm a Pepcid-poppin', out of breath, can't get comfortable, back rub requesting, crazy lady. The plus side is that according to my hubby I haven't "swollen up" yet. With my son I had significant swelling in my ankles/arms/face. Oh, but there is still time...

I've told several new moms before - I think that the last month and a half of pregnancy is far worse than labor itself. Labor with my son was definitely tolerable. I had back labor exclusively, which was not so fun. But, Mike was fabulous with giving me counter pressure with every contraction until I got the blessed epidural. And, I didn't get the epidural until I was already 7cm [note: being in labor on a major holiday (ie Christmas) means the anesthesiologist MIGHT just take his precious time coming to your aid]

I'm not so worried about the labor/delivery part. I know I can handle it. I'm more concerned with the timing and making sure my son has someone to take care of him.

My son and I took my preregistration paperwork to the hospital the other day. I explained to him a little about how mommy will have to come there when Hannah comes. He has told me several times that he's "sorry it will hurt when she comes out of your belly button". I have no idea where he got that idea, but I've just rolled with it.

Going by the hospital ushered in a new wave of To Do lists, packing lists, and the like. Am I crazy to want my bags packed, her room set, and the car seat in the car already???

bucking tradition

Growing up, I had so many Easter traditions... a new dress each year - many handmade by my grandmother who was an incredible seamstress. Easter baskets filled with GIANT chocolate bunnies that took us weeks to eat. Hiding eggs with my brother for weeks before and after Easter. Church with my family. Huge dinners with my extended family after church. Pictures taken by the garden.

Jackson has been hiding and finding eggs ALL WEEK like crazy. We've dyed eggs, done a few Easter crafts, read the Resurrection story from the Bible every night, opened and explained the "Resurrection Eggs", and various other fun things this week leading up to Easter. [I am amazed at how much he gets it... the REAL story of Christ's Resurrection. And how when I teach it to him and my class at church, Christ's sacrifice touches my heart in new ways.]

But Easter day is a different story...

With both my hubby and I working for the church, Easter mornings are a bit CRAZY for us - there's so much to do to get ready for church. Weeks of preparation beforehand. Mike wakes up super early and is gone long before I wake up. Jackson and I leave early to get everything set up and ready to go for all the Bridgekidz classes, and with much help (thank you guys!), we hide hundreds and hundreds of eggs. The service was a wonderful time to celebrate Christ's Resurrection with our church family. The BridgeKidz classes went great. We leave church exhausted!

We opted for the oh-so-nontraditional Easter lunch at Salsa Fresh and McDonald's for Jackson. Ha! It was delicious! I debated all week about doing an Easter meal with all traditional yummy food. In the end, it was just too much for me to do with the busyness of church and this ever-growing belly of mine. Trust me - I was praising God with every bite of my yummy chimichanga-style Chicken Beuno Burrito! During lunch Jack spilled chocolate milk all down his clothes... that's when I realized we weren't getting a family picture for that day.

Once we finally made it home, Jackson got to pick a few pieces of candy and then it was off to his room for quiet time. Mike and I engaged in our regular Sunday afternoon tradition -- he naps for hours and I read the paper and watch cheesy 80's movies on TV.

Our laziness was interrupted by a call from the Wells wanting to play outside in the beautiful weather. We met them at our neighborhood ponds for some fishing. It was Madeline and Ryan's first time (and Lauren too!) so Mike brought rods for everyone and gave them some lessons. In no time, Ryan caught 3 fish and Madeline caught one! Jackson preoccupied himself with throwing sticks in the water for their dog Bobo. After the fishing success, we played on the playground. We had so much fun!

Returning home for dinner, Jackson had the traditional Easter peanut butter and jelly sandwich, Mike had leftovers, and I was still full from lunch so just munched on a little popcorn. We watched a new movie Jackson got from Aunt Kaye and then went to bed.

Probably not your traditional Easter in many ways... yet the day seemed perfect to me.

Sweet Homecoming

The Walters are home! I was able to go to the airport and be one of the many family and friends to greet them and meet Ben and Paige. I dare say there was not a dry eye. Ben and Paige were wide-eyed and content being passed from one person to the other. They are SO precious! I am beyond thrilled for these dear friends!!

Thank you, again, for your prayers!

Surely he took up our infirmities and carried our sorrows, yet we considered him stricken by God, smitten by him, and afflicted, But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our inequities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed. - Isaiah 53:4-5

Surely the arm of the Lord is not to short to save, nor his ear too dull to hear. But your iniquities have separated you from your God; your sins have hidden his face from you, so that he will not hear....He saw that there was no one, he was appalled that there was no one to intervene; so his own arm worked salvation for him, and his own righteousness sustained him. - Isaiah 59: 1-2, 16

But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that , having been justified by his grace, we might become heirs having the hope of eternal life. - Titus 3:4-7

Wishing you each sacred time of reflection this weekend on the greatest act of love ever given. May you personally feel that love beyond measure from the God who chose the nails so that you may have a relationship with him.

Walters will be home Saturday!

We skyped with Tim, Anna, Ben and Paige this morning! It was so adorable to see the kids on the screen - and watch them stare at the computer in amazement. They were able to get the kids yesterday at 5:30. And, it was so evident that Ben and Paige were at ease with their new parents already. Tim says the transition has been amazingly smooth so far, even with an overnight train ride. They are in Moscow finishing the last bit of travel documents today and then they get on a plane Saturday to come HOME.

Many of you that read this blog have asked for updates and have been praying for them - and many of you don't even know the Walters personally. Thank you for your prayers and keep 'em coming! Pray for the last bit of paperwork today, for the LONG flight, and please pray for all the new transitions that will take place when they get home and reunite with Ty.

A cute side note: Jackson has been praying..."Dear God, please be wiff Mr. Tim and Anna on the airplane with Ty's new brother and sister"... same prayer everyday - he has it in his head that Tim and Anna have been in a airplane EVERY day since they have been gone.

Rah Rah Carolina-lina!

So happy for my boys in blue!!!!!

Bloggy links you'll love

I get asked from time to time how I know some of the peeps on my "Spare Time Reads" list. Most are people I do know from church, college, and camp. There are others that I do not know personally, but something about their blog inspires me. When time allows me, I love to read their tidbits on life and faith. I figure you might enjoy these as well...

Rocks In My Dryer - a Christian mom of 4 with well-written insights for making it through the day to day.

BooMama - the blog that makes me smile the most. An unapologetically very Southern mom with the most hilarious outlook on life and faith.

The Nesting Place - adorable home decorating ideas on a low budget

Simple Mom - A recent find that I LOVE. Practical tips for household management, parenting, cooking, you name it.

The Flowering Dogwood - great recipe site.

The LPM blog - Beth Moore's blog. 'Nuf said.

Bring The Rain - One of the most real and inspiring stories I have ever heard. This blog has challenged me in so many ways. She blogs about dealing with her faith and life in general while getting a hard diagnosis and losing a child. To read her blog, you MUST go to the tab on the left panel to read from the beginning. Have Kleenex and Bible in hand.


What blogs are your 'spare time reads'? Which ones inspire you the most?

Check it Out!

The Bridge has a newly redone website - check it out here. There are still a few pages we are working on, but I think it really turned out fantastic and much more user friendly than before.

Special thanks to Cary for all his hard work!

because days like today are worthy of documenting

I'm having a great day... went to the park with hubby, jack and the Hodges and some of the Chapmans, some dear old friends that we haven't seen in years. Sat outside in the warm sunshine while doing my Bible study. Discovered that we didn't owe a $900 bill we thought we did (praise God!). I introduced a new chore chart to Jackson and he is THRILLED and jumping at the chance to help out. He's been doing some chores for over a year now, but I'm stepping it up a bit [READ: the baby is coming and I'll take the extra help!].

The guys are both napping (the usual for one and rare for the other - can you guess??). I'm having some wonderful 'me time' and ignoring the laundry pile, for now. And, I'm looking forward to a date night with my man tonight. I'm thinking coffee and Kilwins... we'll see.

Our beloved kitty has been giving us a scare. For the last 4 days she refused to eat and drank little, but would meow at me like crazy to feed her anytime I was near the kitchen. She is very picky (true to being a windley) and it seems it was just cat food I had bought - which happened to be the EXACT kind she normally loves. Our friend Dana, the veterinarian, suggested we get a new bag and maybe some wet food to entice her, and if she still refused, to take her to get looked at. Sure enough, we opened the new bag of food and she ate. Hopefully, that was all it took.

My 'Heels are looking great, and playing better than they have in weeks. They made it to the Final Four and are just 2 victories away from taking the title. :) I'm in 3 different bracket challenges. I'm leading in 2 (bridge & isaacs family) and 3rd place in Boomama's bracket challenge that has 180+ people. Whoohoo! I'll try not to rub it in too much to all the guys!

A few updates for ya:

The Walters will be in Russia longer than expected. The judge granted them the adoption (yay yay yay!), but did not waive the 10 day waiting period. So, they are hanging out in Moscow in the meantime. Please keep them in your prayers!

Kelli is now in France with her 30 students and 4 chaperones. Did I mention she organized the entire stinkin' trip? She is Wonder Woman! Anyway, she's documenting her travels here for those of you who are like me and daydream of perusing the La Louvre with fromage and baguette in hand.

thought you'd like to know...

1. Doc says sunless tanning cream is perfectly fine during pregnancy. Evidently they changed their stance since I was pregnant with my son. Whoohoo! No more blinding people!

2. Miss Sweet Tooth has re-discovered Nutella. There are a million ways to enjoy this delightful chocolaty hazelnut spread. I love it in a crepe with strawberries. The most common way it is consumed around here, though, is on a spoon straight from the container. Mmmmm....

3. What is more painful than stepping on small legos with bare feet?? Small plastic dinosaurs with tiny plastic spikes. Yeow!

4. New celeb Anoop Desai from American Idol found local fame here in the Raleigh area years before crooning for Simon. Check out the story here. I'm sure he's mortified at some of the pics.

pray for the walters

During staff meeting today we skyped with Tim and Anna in Russia! They left Raleigh on Monday and arrived in Moscow safely. So far, there have been many answers to prayers - they went through customs without a hitch. The medical tests and psych exams were passed (we were shocked to hear that about tim! :) ). There was some original paperwork that their agency was to have sent that was missing - and they almost sent them right back home. But, during staff meeting they skyped again to tell us that the paperwork had been found. Praise God! From Moscow they had a 13 hour train ride, which was rough. They are a bit sleep deprived. Currently, they are waiting for a call to see if they can go visit the children this evening. I can't imagine how anxious they are!

Please keep them in your prayers! The court case is in a few days. Please pray that all will continue to go smoothly, that they will have a great connection with Ben and Paige, and that the 10 day waiting period will be waived. And, pray for Ty as he waits at home with grandparents and family.

not so manic mondays

I realize I am most likely in the minority with this, but I'm going to go ahead and say it. I really like Mondays. Mostly because hubby either takes part or all of the day off. Our weekends are typically so packed that Mondays are the breather day for us. I use Mondays to plan my week's activities, menu planning, and general catch-up. And, something about me just loves a To Do List, especially with 1/2 of the items checked off by noon.

We had a wonderful and productive weekend with my family. My folks just recently remodeled their kitchen and we benefited by this by being the new owners of their old oven and microwave. It's one of those fancy-smancy ceramic cooktops. And, we mounted the microwave so now I have more counter space than I know what to do with. I can now roll out homemade biscuits with plenty or room. (that is, if I actually were to ever make homemade biscuits.) I broke in the new appliances quickly thereafter and we ate well all weekend long. Too well.

[which reminds me....hey, does anyone want an oven or microwave? I'm willing to sell them pretty cheaply...]

While Dad and Mike worked on mounting the new (to us) microwave, mom and I found fabric and she made the drapes for baby girl's room. One more thing to check off the ginormous list. Saturday was devoted to consignment shopping. Oh, and shop we did. Mom was a great help, and my little man is almost set for the spring & summer. Baby girl got a few items too. After 5 hours at it, we came home and crashed like nobodies business.

The rest of the weekend was devoted to basketball watching and shaking my head at my bracket picks. Thankfully the 'Heels have survived so far. Jackson spent the majority of the time insisting that someone to read him the new dinosaur book Mimi and Granddaddy Pete brought him and playing hours and hours with his toy dinosaurs. I seriously think my dad has the entire book memorized in just 3 days.

let the festivities begin

It's going to be a fun week here in our homestead. March Madness has arrived in it's fullest. It is bracketology time. That's NCAA basketball tournament lingo for those of you unfortunate enough to not follow it. :) I'll be creating a Bridge Bracket Challenge later today, so if you want to join it, let me know. Just for funzies and bragging rights - no cashola involved.

My parents will come in town on Thursday for a weekend visit. I've forewarned mom that I am putting her to work. :) We are making window treatments for the nursery. And, by we I mean she will be doing the sewing and I'll be picking the fabric. Then, I will be subjecting her to her first ever huge children's consignment sale on Saturday. Oh the deals to be found! I'm working on our game plan - making a list of what we need, what areas to go to first, how to put her to work the most effectively. Sounds crazy, I know, but it can be very rewarding!


Also, did you know that someone has a birthday on Wednesday???

Fun with Kels

I had the chance to catch up with my buddy Kelli this past weekend. I love hanging out with her... we always do the things we love best - play cards, drink coffee, shop, and have great conversations. She and I share a love for keeping up with the news and politics, as well as good spiritual debates. And, she and I match up perfectly when shopping... we don't mess around. We hunt the deals and are in and out of shops in no time! She leaves for France in 2 weeks where she, and 4 other brave chaperones, are taking 30 students for Spring Break. You can follow her excursion on her blog here. I'll be living vicariously through her for that week. One day I'll make it to France myself. *sigh*

The only negative is that she introduced hubby to some new game on facebook. He took advantage of a nasty rainy weekend by playing this game for hours and hours. Thanks a lot, kels.

because I know you have all been sitting around waiting to hear what I've been up to...

So how has your March been? Mine has been full of activity. And, void of blogging. Did you miss me?

March began here with 2-3 inches of snow. My hubby and son enjoyed it immensely while I ventured out only briefly to photograph the occasion. My ski pants no longer fit and I've had some back issues, so playing out in the snow this time was not to be. Plus, my balance is a little off and falling would not be a good thing.

The end of last week through now has been quite warm (70's and low 80's) and sunny. I refuse to run the AC yet, but you can bet that the fans have been full speed and the windows open. Jackson and I have pink faces from playing outside. We've been out with friends everyday at the playground, or kite flying in the backyard.

I discovered this weekend that this warm weather was going to be problematic on many levels... First, it means I have to shave more often. Which is getting increasingly more difficult. I really do hate shaving. In college, a friend who will remain anonymous (NOT ME!) also hated shaving and decided not to shave the entire winter - which is long in the NC mountains. She showed me her legs on multiple occasions. There are no words for the grossness! She finally had to 'give-in' when she signed up for a swimming class. Thankfully, she didn't take those hairy beasts to the pool!

Wow, I digress.

Second, I have not painted my toe nails in oh, 5 months or more. I realized this on my way out the door to church when I threw on some open toe shoes. I rushed to paint them. This also is a difficult reach and the paint job is ridiculous! And thirdly, my legs are that eery translucent white. Normally, this is remedied by a little sunless tanning lotion. I'm not afraid to admit it - I use it. Only enough to give me a slight shade of non-blindingness. I'm not looking for the golden goddess look! The problem this year is that Drs typically don't encourage using it while preggo. It just hasn't been studied enough to see if there are any negative side effects for the baby. I plan to ask my Doc more about it at my next appt. I can't do the long pants thing until she comes, that is for sure! My dermatologist doesn't want me to ever "intentionally sun bathe". What's a girl to do?? Any out there heard differently about using the lotions?

Other than some wild weather extremes, we have been on the go non-stop it seems. There have been cook-outs with friends, playdates, house projects, and of course March Madness is upon us. (Did you know my 'Heels finished the season top in the ACC? And, will get a top seed for the NCAA tournament coming up. It has been a fun season to watch and we just pray we can hang on and win the 'big dance'.)

I'm officially in the 3rd trimester. Just 2 1/2 months to go (or so). Hannah is getting the hiccups and kicking up a storm. Jackson thinks my rippling belly is funny. Had my first Braxton Hicks the other day. Oh joy.

Hannah's room is a disaster. I'm sorting through years of boy clothes to get ready for the consignment sale. They are all sorted by season, then by size. Now I'm in the middle of the tagging. I'm anxious to purge these, and really need the money to go towards clothes and equipment for both kiddos this summer. Plus, it would be nice to unbury all the cute nursery stuff.

Our church threw a shower for my dear friend Anna yesterday. She and Tim, who is on staff at The Bridge, are about to leave on their 2nd trip to Russia, where they are adopting two precious little children - Ben and Paige. I am excited beyond words for them. Our church has been really supportive of their adoption process and I've been so touched by their generosity! Jackson has had some extra playtimes with soon-to-be big brother Ty while his parents get things ready. Today, as I took both boys up to the park, I listened in on a conversation they had about becoming big brothers. Something like this...

Jackson: My mommy has a baby in her belly. It's my baby sister. I'm going to be the big brother.

Ty: Hey, I'm going to be a big brother too. I have a sister named Paige and a brother named Ben.

Jackson: I have a new big boy room and we painted the other room for my sister Hannah.

Ty: Hey, I have a new room. My sister's room is pink.

Jackson: I'm going to be mommy's helper with the baby. Then, I will teach her how to play ballyball. [a new word he made up for playing all sorts of games with balls]

Ty: Hey, I can teach them how to kick a soccer ball.

So precious! Oh, how I wish I had a recording of that! I was so proud of them both. Their 'conversations' usually only include pirate talk, race car talk, and just silly noises.

I have a problem

Under normal circumstances, I would not be classified as someone with a sweet tooth or chocoholic. I'd rather sit with a bowl of salty chips and french onion dip any day. This pregnancy, however, has brought out this bizarre drive for sweets that I have NO CONTROL over. I have heard others talk about this, but just never got it. Until now. For whatever reason, the 3 o'clock hour is the magical time when my hormones take over and demand sweets.

My sweet of choice: Häagen-Daz's Baileys Irish Cream Ice Cream. OHMYWORD. I remembered the first time I tried it... in college my student union sold it and I would use it as a reward after several hours of focused studying. Have you had it?

A confession: A few days ago I had a moment of desperation. All sweets were GONE from the house. I searched high and low. Then, I realized I had to get creative. I took a couple of spoonfuls of brown sugar, a smidgen of butter and melted them together. Then, I dipped my son's graham crackers in the toffee-like mixture. IT WAS SO GOOD. I don't even want to fathom the amount of sugar that was subjected myself & daughter. A girls gotta do what a girls gotta do.

[by the way, I had my glucose drink to test for gestational diabetes the other day. Yes, I fasted from sweets and carb laden foods for at least 24 hours beforehand. See, I do have some measure of self control. :) I should get the results back tomorrow... So, these new habits of mine may have to change! ]

legacy

As some of you know, I lost an old friend last week to cancer. Kristi discovered she had stage 4 cancer immediately after the birth of her 3rd son last fall. She fought hard and bravely the last several months, and now she is completely at peace at the foot of our Saviour. This news is so hard, and I join so many in their grief over her loss. Yet, even now God is using her death to draw people closer to Himself. Her life was a huge testimony to God. And this continues with her death. She leaves behind a husband of 8 years, 3 beautiful boys (ages 4, 2, & newborn), and a legacy of a life lived for Christ in every way.

You can read her obituary here - it is so touching and beautiful.

Please join me in prayer for her family and friends.

I could clean the house, but...

Lately, I have been in a reading frenzy. Maybe because my energy level is rapidly dwindling. My dad recommended a series of books by Joel Rosenberg, The Last Jihad, The Last Days, The Ezekiel Option, and next on the list is Copper Scroll. This series has been fantastic. Interestingly, he wrote The Last Jihad, a fictitious book about jihadist terrorists using airplanes to attack US targets AND about the war in Iraq, BEFORE 9/11/2001. His books are fiction, yet they use tons of biblical prophesy. I can't put them down. They have definitely made me take more interest in all news coming out of the Middle East.

I would be in the middle of the fourth book, but had to break since the latest Terri Blackstock book, Double Minds, came out last week and the library will only loan in-demand new releases for 1 week. Not that it will take me that long. :) I love her books!

Ballin'

I LOVE watching the 'Heels play basketball. It's not something I write about much, since I presume many of my readership do not get as into it as I do. Watching the games is something my husband and I really enjoy doing together. Although, he yells at the television much less than I do. :) Today is a big rivalry game against NC State. It's half-time now, so I'm letting my blood pressure get back to normal. ha!

If we are able to find a sitter (any takers????) for Tuesday night, we are going to the Carolina v. Maryland game. I'm so stinkin' excited about it! Maybe we'll get to tour the Tarheel Basketball Museum again - very, very cool. (Tyson, I promise I'm going to take you there next time you come to town!)

My husband is becoming a wing master. He has worked on A TON of wings in preparation for a party we are going to tomorrow for the Super Bowl. And, thanks to all the man-food on sale at the grocery store, he is stocked up in a plethora of sauces and the like. He is obsessed with wings, ya'll! Wings do nothing for me, but I do love the other tailgating foods... chips, dips, guacamole, nachos... Mmmm. And, an excuse to hang out with friends. A redeeming fact since I am not into either of the teams playing on Sunday.

random thoughts from the sleep deprived

I'm taking a lazy day. It's after 10am and I'm still in my pjs. Sleep has been rough lately. Hubby was up around 4:30am too... the exception is that he got up, took a shower, had some time with God, and left before 6 to meet a friend for breakfast. I thought I was a morning person until I married him. As for me, I kept tossing and turning until sleep finally gave back in. Then, I slept in to 8:30. I still had to go in and wake up my son. I think he could sleep in all day if I let him.

In my defense, its been a busy week. Purposely so - to keep my little guy active and fight off the cabin fever of winter! Monday, the whole family got into the Project Purge we have going on. We reorganized the garage and moved furniture, cleaned out the nursery (the former playroom). Jackson and I have gone to TK's (a large bounce-house place) with friends, saw a movie at the $1.50 theatre with friends, went to story time at the library, and various other jaunts about town all week.

And, seriously, it is so hard to get comfortable when you have to only sleep on your side. My hips and back ache every night (and morning!). In my 2+ hours of awakeness last night I contemplated ways to shift our budget around to afford a pregnancy massage. Never had one of those before, and at 3am it sounded heavenly. But I wonder, do they make you lay on your side for the massage??? Perhaps its these deep ponderings that kept me up! :)

So, I suppose its time to take a shower and tackle a few things on the to-do list. Or maybe just get another cup of coffee....

we are making progress, ya'll!

Mike and a friend painted the nursery today. I'm ecstatic! It's now a soft shade of yellow, which goes great with the bedding that is green, pink, yellow, and blue. There is still a bunch to do, but having that and some of the bedding feels like a huge accomplishment. I sat in there for a long time just taking it all in and praying for her. I'll post pictures when we have the nursery a little more put together.

We have also made progress on the name, which is HUGE for us. I tend to prefer whimsical and less traditional names. He likes the tried-and-true. I'll wait to post it until we are 100% sure... and no, it is NOT "eddie-o-a". Even Jackson doesn't like that name anymore. Thank goodness!

I made a list or two (imagine that!) today of all the things we need to pick up before our daughter comes, which led me to wander online to look at the prices. I ended up looking at some of the new things that have come out since Jackson entered this world... Things like Bumbo seats, BPA-free bottles, pacifier pods, and Piddle Pads for car seats (oh, how I wish we had that for Jackson... nothing is more frustrating that cleaning a car seat and reassembling it!).

I am so thankful for the essential things like the crib, car seat, changing table, etc we already have because of our son. We just have to supplement for the things that either broke, wore out, or are very boy-like. Pink is entering my house for the first time. :) Thank goodness my favorite consignment sale is coming up in March!

Memory? What memory?

My husband gets joked by lots of people (including himself) about his terrible memory. He's pretty good with the important stuff or movie quotes (of all things), but normal day-to-day things are as good as forgotten as soon as they happen.

The other day I had a ridiculous bout with memory loss myself. I had JUST poured a cup of juice for my son and then couldn't find what I did with the container. I looked all over the fridge, pantry, counters - it was no where to be found. After many minutes of searching, I finally found it under the sink next to the cleaning supplies. I blame the pregnancy for that one.

Mike got a chuckle about that. But, what he did today tops them all....

A few moments ago he handed me a beautiful card and a CD. I was touched... a sweet card for no reason at all! Then I opened the card and read "Happy Anniversary". What??! Our anniversary is in April. It wasn't the anniversary of our engagement or first date or anything like that. To top it off the card was not signed. I was very confused.

He explained.... Today he preached at our former church. It is a bit more traditional than The Bridge, and he pulled out a coat and tie for the occasion. In between his 2 sermons, he reached inside his coat pocket and discovered the card and CD. He had worn the sports coat when we had gone out to eat on our last anniversary (last APRIL) and was going to sign the card before giving it to me at dinner. But, he forgot. And, never remembered, until today when he found them.

So, no, he did NOT forget our anniversary. He just forgot the gift!

After we had a good laugh about this, I told him that he already had this year's card bought and ready for April.

And, I promptly told him that I was "SO going to blog about this". :)

I'm in heaven

We got snow! Big time snow for our area - 7" at our house. I LOVE snow and I miss it so much. I suppose I was a little spoiled at AppState. I want to sled and ski so badly...ah, guess that will wait until next year (or whenever we are graced with the white stuff again).

We were out in it most of the day yesterday, and Jack and I are about to head back out in a few minutes. Too bad daddy had to return to work! The best part of it all, though, is my son's absolute love for it, too. I love to see his excitement! We had to coax him inside with hot cocoa, and even then he was asking to go back out.

The other side

I'm entering new territory. The little girl's side of stores. Oh, I've seen it before... quickly passing through and lamenting on how much cuter girl clothes are than boys. And, more expensive.

The other day we picked up some bedding for our girl (so cute!). We got a bumper, crib sheet, & crib skirt. I already have it on the crib, by the way! :) We also stopped in a few stores and I, of course, stopped to look in the girl's section. Unbelievable amounts of pink - I am getting used to it! For those that don't know me well, I'm not a huge pink fan for myself. I fully recognize that this will not be the case for baby girl!

fighting cabin fever

In the midst of this frigid Canadian jet stream we are experiencing here (without ANY snow, mind you), its getting a little cabin-feverish in my house. Jack is discovering new ways to get in trouble. Yesterday it was throwing trains at the light fixture in his room during "rest time" and stamping his clothes with ink. Always fun. We have been out of the house everyday with various activities and errands, yet, still he is trying the mischievous thing which is driving me a little batty. To say the least.

I'm sure it has NOTHING to do with the fact that I have a nesting bug in the worst way, and I've been a little preoccupied digging deep inside closets, junk drawers, and the like. Ahem.

Upon bundling him up for a little jaunt outdoors to move and get fresh air, I hear "Moooommmy....It's too cold!" within the first two minutes. Clearly, he does not have my warm blood like I thought. I find myself starting a discussion on true cold, like "walking to class on the other side of campus in a snow blizzard where you can't see 3ft in front of you even when you wear your ski goggles and did I mention it was -25 degrees"... but he doesn't care. He just wants to go in and get the hot chocolate.

Isn't it amazing how a house FULL of new toys just cannot compare to running and playing in the warm sunshine?

So, the ultrasound says...

it's a GIRL! I'm thrilled, and a little surprised, and I have the odd sensation that we are going to be broke. :) Girls require assessories like hair bows, jewelry, and 5x the amount of shoes to go with every outfit.... I can hardly wait!!

Check out my son's reaction to the news here. Let me know what you think about his name suggestion!

welcoming life back to normal

I returned last night from a brief staff retreat in Boone. I was so excited to go there, as I love the mountains so much. Unfortunately the weather was miserable - cool, rainy, & foggy. Much like around here. Months before we left I got excited about the thought of going night skiing after our planning sessions... and a few minutes later it dawned on me that skiing while pregnant might not be the wise choice to make. Especially since its been at least 5 years since I've been on skis, and I'm certain to be a little rusty. Maybe next year we can go and take Jack - he would love it!

I'm the only female on staff, so its always interesting to travel with the 4 guys. One of which was my hubby though, so that was nice. There was lots of boy banter, fast food, ESPN, potty humor, and the like. I was asked by many last Sunday if I could survive 3 days with all the guys - and I survived! It was a successful trip overall. The planning and prayer time was much needed and I'm ready to see what God is going to do in and through The Bridge in 2009!

My son got to spend a few nights with his grandparents, where he seemed to have barely known we weren't around. Grandparents are great at spoiling! He had a blast. Apparently he was a "good eater" [translate: we didn't try to give him anything he didn't love; aka he had lots of french fries]. And, I was informed that he refused to poop the entire time. A LOVELY welcome home present for his parents!

So now its back to the routine, and I couldn't be happier about it. I am so tired of traveling and packing. The "nesting" phase is definitely kicking in and I have the urge to purge! Still looking for a place for all the gifts we got last month. We have two more days until we find out the little bean's gender... then I'll finally be able to know what to do with the nursery! And, Mike and I can resume the naming arguments. :)

Oh, hi

Remember me? Feeling neglected, my bloggy friends??

This past month has been a bit hectic. And, when life is hectic, my life works in a series of lists... so, here's some highlights of the last few weeks.

1. 6 different family Christmas gatherings, of which my son got showered with presents. Our extended family takes SPOILED to a whole new level.
2. 3 different birthday parties for my now 4-yr-old
3. 1 house that looks like a blown up Toys-R-Us
4. More ham consumed than I could have desired... I won't want it again until next December. After the final gathering of family, I begged my mom for Mexican food for the next meal. I can get away with this for now... "the baby wants mexican!". :)
5. My son considered it his mission to learn EVERY Christmas song he could and preceded to sing them incessantly the entire month. Seriously, I have heard "Holly Jolly Christmas" no less than 586 times.
6. That same adorable little guy GOT Christmas on a whole new level this year. Not just the presents and reindeer - but about God's son being born. I can't express how adorable it is to hear him pray at night and thank God for Jesus being born.
7. Wonderful times with family we don't get to see very often.
8. Double date with hubby and my brother and sister-in-law to finally see Fireproof. It was very good. I did the ugly cry.
9. Finding out before the holidays that I have not gained as much weight as I thought, and then using that excuse for eating cookies. Also, my ultrasound was supposed to be a few days ago, but had to be pushed back due to New Years and all our traveling. So on January 9th we hope the little bean will cooperate and show all.
10. New Years Eve with friends. Hooray for games, laughter, and more food with great people! And, for great babysitters.

Looking forward to all that 2009 has to offer! Now I'm off to take some rest time....